Quote:
Originally Posted by CDKPhil
Hi Greg
I would like your opinion on the MX and why you went with it instead of the AP 1200. My CDK 12.5 comes in July, I have ordered a Losmandy Titan to put it on. I am having second thoughts about the Titan there seem to be a lot of software issues to be sorted out. I would like a PME but my budget will not stretch that far and I don't need that much capacity. I have looked at the specs of the MX it seems to be very light and it does not come with a hand controller. (but it is Mac compatible) I am wondering if it will be to light for the 12.5 with a bunch of imaging equipment hanging off it. I will also be using it for visual. I want a mount to work well out of the box I don't want to get a degree in software engineering just to run my mount.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Cheers
Phil
|
Hi Phil,
Well the reasons are:
AP1200:
A great mount, fabulously sorted and heavy duty. You won't find anyone who doesn't like it. But for my purposes probably a bit heavy for portable setup, is about $2500+ more expensive, doesn't do home position, it doesn't come with any software, it may not be as well integrated with the Software Bisque software I am so familiar with. It does not come with any counterweights and saddle. These are expensive add-ons.
So I figure it'd be around US$12,500 and is more a competitor for Paramount ME but is not as sophisticated in the software department as the PME.
Paramount MX:
I already use a Paramount ME for my CDK17. Fabulous mount. I like direct drive (no need for an autoguiding cable), I like its home position
at startup which means you can move the mount around manually, and then tell it to go home position and it knows where it is and go-tos work again. Home position is a great great feature. The mount also works seamlessly with the Sky and CCDsoft. PEC is easy to setup, Tpoint is a fantastic piece of software (it works on other mounts as well). It is cheap at US$8500, comes with The SkyX, Tpoint and I think something else. It is very easy to polar align with exact numbers of turns of its knobs given by Tpoint. It holds up to 90lbs. A CDK12.5 weighs nowhere near that. It should handle one with ease. It comes with 2 counterweights also. It is quite portable. The next generation electronics. Is robotic and can be controlled remotely if you want.
Clutchless design so one more thing that can slip is out of the equation.
Losmandy Titan I have heard good things about. Its a high end mount. How would it compare with the MX? I don't know much about Titans so hard for me to comment. I imagine the main points would be:
Home position in the MX none in Titan. That means you move it or bump it and you lose your go-tos and have to redo it.
Direct drive in the MX none in the Titan. That means the computer drives the mount without needing an autoguiding cable.
Clutchless and switches that disengage the gears making it easier to adjust manually.
Superior control electronics. Bisque are highend electronics and operate at an extremely high level of accuracy. Gears and PE is smooth and really well mapped and understood. After PEC PE goes below 1 arcsecond which is as good as it gets with any mount.
Highend machining and fit and finish.
Easy to use. It integrates really easily and seamlessly with the Sky. Titan would work fine with the Sky but not as fully.
I don't want a hand control personally but you can control Paramount Mounts with a joystick (PME uses one - not sure if one comes with MX, probably not). You need to use a computer anyway if you are imaging so no problem there for me.
Remote control ability if you want to control it over the internet for a remote site (I don't plan to).
A shallow reason but it looks sexy. The AP1200 does not. I also did not like the cable for the motor sticking out in the AP1200. PMX seems to have all cables hidden inside.
Basically it seems AP and Bisque and Takahashi are the 3 top mount makers and I was incredibly impressed with the professionalism of the Bisque PME. As I say I don't know a lot about the Titan. G11s are popular and probably are rated as a midquality mount that needs upgrades to work really well (ovision worm etc). G11 would be too light for a CDK12.5. PME would be overkill as you say. MX would be perfect in my opinion. AP1200 would be plenty also. You'd probably get away with an AP900 for a 12.5.
I am sure I would be happy with an AP1200 as well. I got a lot of responses about it from this and other groups. It was both ways. Some for the AP1200 and some for the PMX. Probably a few more for the AP1200 but in the end for me it was cost, cost then portability, software compatibility and the fact I love my PME!! and am familiar with their mounts now (I also love my AP140!!).
How much is a Titan?
Greg.
